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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · fan · fine · wake · safe · content

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wake — a trail
  6. press — to push
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fine — high quality
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. content — the amount
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. content — happy
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com